April 28th, 2009
The sun, the surf, the sights … the cheese. Ah, it’s what boys’ weekends are made of. The Gold Coast, Australia’s answer to Las Vegas minus a squillion casinos and bright neon lights, but certainly ample gambling opportunities, bands, great pubs and clubs, sunshine and sand – and that’s not desert sand, but the soft, powdery kind plonked right at the feet of some of the most spectacular beaches in the world.
Oh yes, then there’s the bikini clad babes wandering around here, there and everywhere. And plenty of buff male torsos for the ideal eye candy for a girls’ [...]
April 28th, 2009
It’s the stuff of legend. Some call it Australia’s Loch Ness. It’s the Mahogany Ship, the mystery vessel, maybe a Portuguese caravel or even a Chinese junk, claimed to lie buried beneath the dunes between Warrnambool and Port Fairy on Victoria’s notorious Shipwreck Coast.
Historians predict that if found it could rewrite the history of Australia’s discovery.
You might not find it, but walking the sands and following the clues is heaps of fun.
The journey
From Melbourne there are two choices, with either Warrnambool or Port Fairy, a little beyond, as your base.
The inland route [...]
April 28th, 2009
Nerves jangled? Life getting you down? Don’t reach for yet another “miracle” vitamin pill. Head for Daylesford in country Victoria. This bucolic retreat should do the trick. It’s done it for us, numerous times.
Let it pamper spirit and body with its plethora of massage therapists and spas, a couple of great bookshops, and some of the best grub in country Australia.
Rebirthed as the gay centre of rural Victoria, Daylesford with its treed streets and fine gold era buildings, provides attractions for all persuasions.
The journey
Getting there is a cinch. It’s an hour and a half up [...]
April 14th, 2009
It’s the holy grail of travel destinations – a place combining perfect weather, idyllic beaches, great food and world-standard wine. So why aren’t more people flocking to South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula?
Southern treasure
I guess I should be delighted that this hidden treasure south of Adelaide hasn’t become the Australian version of California’s Napa Valley, overrun by tourists and subsequently overblown and overpriced. Instead, it’s South Australia’s little secret, one which they seem quite happy to share with just a select few. And for those in the know, it’s quite a find.
A driving holiday is the [...]
April 14th, 2009
This one may not necessarily be the prettiest drives from Melbourne, but it’s certainly the fastest way to reach the magic that awaits on the mighty Murray River. Echuca, about 200km north of Melbourne on the Victoria and NSW border, was once the biggest inland port in Australia and has retained much of that old world charm in the heart of town while also offering a cosmopolitan way of life too. In a nutshell there’s the historic port to explore, great restaurants and pubs, big clubs over the border in Moama, a wealth of river activities including fishing, skiing, swimming, Paddlesteamer cruises and much more. [...]
April 10th, 2009
Many visitors to Victoria think of the Great Ocean Road as the state’s ultimate driving holiday, but a 150km drive south-east from Melbourne to Phillip Island clearly can’t be underestimated. It’s a great drive leading to a fabulous holiday hotspot with a plethora of things to do.
A few months back we loaded up our six-berth Britz camper, hit the Monash Freeway, turned into the South Gippsland Freeway and then onto the Bass Highway and finally made our way to the island via Phillip Island Rd. Normally the trip would take roughly a couple of hours, take your time and [...]
